Young Americans have never witnessed a functioning foreign policy
A Financial Times column argues that Americans under 30 have grown up in an era of failed foreign policy, from the Iraq War to Afghanistan and the current Ukraine conflict. It contends that this generation's skepticism of US intervention abroad is not naivety but a rational response to decades of strategic blunders, and that Washington's inability to articulate a coherent doctrine has left young voters alienated from global leadership.
Young Americans have never witnessed a functioning foreign policy.
- Tycho
Well under Dubya it was pretty successful. Firstly, there was never a repeat of 9/11. Secondly, they pulled off one of the most overwhelming military victories of all time against Iraq, a full-blown invasion completed in weeks with hardly any losses. This also secured Israel’s long term prospects in the region, which seems to be one of the most sacred directives of American policy. It did also lead ultimately to civil war in Syria and political destabilisation in Germany/Europe (from refugees), but that is no skin off Uncle Sam’s nose. You may not like it, but in the history books that’s what peak foreign policy looks like.
- SwellJoe
They've never witnessed functioning policy on any front. Bin Laden wanted to destroy America, and he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. The current administration is the logical result of fear and ignorance and xenophobia being elevated to our primary motivations, rather than merely being the position of a few embarrassing reactionary cranks. A prerequisite for winning elections in half the country today is that you must be the dumbest and meanest and most corrupt motherfucker the voters have ever seen. If you're not, somebody dumber and meaner and more corrupt will come along to push you out (e.g. Paxton in Texas for a current example, but it's the entirety of the Republican party and a not insignificant part of the Democratic party).
- josefritzishere
We stopped having a coherent foreign policy in 2017. It's only been 9 years. But I suppose tweens don't know any better; but I'd argue that they typically don't anyway.
- neuroelectron
>they see only mistrust between allies
- jameskilton
A few weeks ago I was golfing with a 21-year old wearing a Trump hat. Didn't ask him about it, it could have been ironic, but I realized something: He's never seen a healthy America, probably doesn't even have any concept of how things could be better.
It's rough being a Millennial. Came of age at the end of the last time the country was arguably "healthy", then 9/11 happened and it's been downhill from there.